Demoner named Player of the Week; Ester collects Goalkeeper of the Week; Weygand selected as Freshman of the Week

RINDGE, N.H. (November 12, 2007) – Franklin Pierce University swept the Northeast-10 Conference women’s soccer weekly awards this afternoon.

Senior All-American Gabriela Demoner (Curitiba, Brazil) earned NE-10 Player of the Week honors, while junior Brittany Ester (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East) collected NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Week honors and defender Kelly Weygand (Bridgewater, Mass./Bridgewater-Raynham) was selected as NE-10 Freshman of the Week after helping lead Franklin Pierce to a pair of wins in the opening weekend of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Demoner, the Daktronics New England Region and NE-10 Player of the Year, earns NE-10 Player of the Week honors for the fourth time this season (eighth career) after scoring four of Franklin Pierce’s seven goals in its two wins at the NCAA Division II New England Regional at Bryant University this weekend. She scored three goals (one shy of the Division II Tournament record) to lead the Ravens to a 4-0 opening round victory over sixth-seeded Holy Family University on Friday. Demoner scored the Ravens second goal in Sunday’s 3-0 triumph over second-seeded and 8th-ranked Bryant on Sunday.

Demoner, a first team All-America selection in 2006, leads the NE-10 this season with 65 points and 27 goals to go with 11 assists (2nd). She has posted a team-best three hat tricks this fall and netted three match-winning goals. With her first goal on Friday, Demoner became the 11th member of Franklin Pierce’s 100-point club and currently ranks 10th all-time with 107 career points.

Ester earns NE-10 Goalkeeper of the Week honors for the second time this season after averaging three saves per match while not conceding a goal in Franklin Pierce’s two NCAA Tournament wins. She has yet to allow a goal in the Ravens four postseason matches (380 minutes) and is unscored upon over her last 408:11 dating back to the 62nd minute of the Ravens 5-2 win over Southern Connecticut State University in their regular season finale on October 20.

Ester has played 1,361 minutes over 15 matches (14 starts) in her first season at Franklin Pierce after transferring from Grossmont College. She leads the NE-10 with her nine shutouts, while ranking third with a 0.50 goals against average and .869 save percentage.

Weygand earned her first Freshman of the Week award after totaling three assists and helping lead a Franklin Pierce defensive unit that posted a pair of shutouts in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament over the weekend. She set up the match-winning goal in Friday’s 4-0 opening round victory over Holy Family, also holding the Tigers to just two shots, before dishing two assists, including the match-winner, in Sunday’s 3-0 triumph at Bryant.

Weygand has emerged as one of Franklin Pierce’s top defensive players in her first collegiate season. She has played a key role in a Ravens defensive unit that ranks second in the NE-10 with a 0.54 team goals against average and 13 shutouts. Weygand has also totaled a goal (match-winner) and five assists for seven points in 18 matches played (15 starts).

Franklin Pierce (15-1-5, 9-1-4 NE-10), ranked 16th in the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA)/adidas Division II poll, has advanced to the NCAA Division II New England Regional final for the 12th-straight year and will face top-seeded and No. 3-ranked College of Saint Rose at the Albany Academy for Girls on Friday at 11 a.m. The Ravens are making their 16th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and will be seeking their 12th-straight regional title this weekend in Albany, N.Y.